Surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices are used in a broad range of RF and IF applications, including wireless communication and cable television. Because the acoustic wave propagates at the surface of the piezoelectric die in SAW devices, the performance of the device can be affected by the environment to which the die is exposed. To avoid such exposure, it is desirable to seal SAW dies inside hermetic packages. In recent years, SAW packages have been fabricated from ceramic and hermetically sealed with metal or ceramic lids using seam welding, solder reflow, or glass frit sealing techniques.
Recent advances in SAW technology, particularly for applications in wireless communications, require smaller SAW devices. While a few years ago it was common for SAW filters used in mobile phone handsets to exceed 12 millimeters in length, such devices are now (in many cases) only a few millimeters long. This miniaturization of SAW filters is likely to continue for some time.
With moderate to large packages, manufacturing using singulated packages that are mechanically fixtured in carriers is feasible. The processes of die attach, wire bond, and lid attachment can all be automated using conventional techniques. As package size shrinks, however, the fixturing and handling of singulated packages and lids becomes more difficult and inefficient. To enhance the manufacturability of such small packages, SAW device manufacturers are developing techniques for processing SAW packages in monolithic ceramic arrays that contain many (often 300 or more) packages per array. The array serves as a base for die attach and formation of electrical connections to the die (whether through wire bonding, flip chip, or other techniques). While the techniques for attaching and interconnecting SAW die to arrays are well understood, the methods for attaching lids to these arrays are very limited.
It would appear from the construction of prior art devices that some SAW manufacturers are using cupped ceramic lids attached to the SAW packages using an insulating resin (B-staged epoxy, byway of example). One can manufacture such devices by aligning and placing the cupped ceramic lids over each die on a heated array. The seal surface of the lids is coated with the B-staged epoxy prior to assembly on the array. The array is designed with a clearance between the lids for subsequent singulation operations. The use of a B-staged epoxy allows the lids to be placed in close proximity to each other without the need for physical barriers or aligners between consecutive lids. The tacky, viscous nature of the heated, B-staged epoxy holds the lids in place prior to final cure and helps prevent the resin from wicking between consecutive lids. Unfortunately, such resin sealing techniques are inherently non-hermetic and allow certain gases (especially water vapor) to permeate through the package seal.
Typically, hermetically sealed SAW filter packages are usually fabricated with a solder sealed flat metal lid. Unfortunately, there currently are no effective methods for placing and fixturing small solder lids onto arrays prior to and during reflow. SAW device manufacturers utilizing solder sealing techniques are doing so with discrete, singulated packages and lids. In most cases, the solder lids are externally fixtured onto the singulated packages and reflowed in inert atmosphere ovens without the use of solder flux. The tacky nature of solder flux is often used to help hold electronic components in place during reflow. However, SAW devices are extremely sensitive to foreign materials on the surface of the electrodes. The residue from the flux can become trapped in the sealed package after reflow and can deposit on the active surface of the SAW die.
In contrast to singulated package solder sealing, the technique of externally fixturing solder lids onto an array is very difficult to accomplish due to the small dimensions of the lids, the limited clearance between packages on the array, and the camber of the array. In addition, it is difficult to maintain integrity between the external fixture and the array during reflow. The external fixture must be aligned precisely and held in intimate contact with the entire array during the reflow process in order to effectively isolate the thin lids and prevent the solder from bridging between lids. The present invention alleviates all of the difficulties associated with lid fixturing and package sealing encountered in the current art.